US, Russia agree on arms reduction

The United States and Russia formally put into force New START on Saturday, a strategic arms control treaty passed by the US Senate in December after a long political battle by President
Barack Obama
.

On the side of a high-level security conference in Germany, US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton
and Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov exchanged legal documents ratifying the treaty, which places new limits on strategic nuclear warheads, heavy bombers and launching vehicles.

The US and Russia have 45 days to trade details on the number, location and technical specifications of their arsenals. Inspection can begin in 60 days.

Relations between the US and Russia began to thaw in 2009 when US Vice-President
Joe Biden
called for the countries to “reset" their relationship after the chilly Bush years.

In addition to the ratification of New START , the so-called “quartet" (a group that deals with the Middle East – the US, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations) convened. This meeting was intended to reaffirm support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, even amid the turmoil in Egypt and the Arab world.

The US was reluctant to hold the meeting, a senior Western diplomat said, but the Europeans wanted to make the point that change in the Middle East was a new opportunity for peace and stagnation between Israel and Palestine was a bad signal.